What can a LCD Television do for Me?

by Kenneth Ho

As much as we try to deny it, a big part of life in our modern society is the television and our interactions that surround it. After a day of hard work, we often find ourselves in front of our television set, enjoying hours of rest and relaxation with our loved ones. When it’s time to restyle your home, you may want to make room for a big screen TV, but your room layout may not allow it. Large televisions often have bulky profiles but Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions solve that problem.

The LCD TV is becoming a popular part of most homes, not only because they create brighter, crisper, and higher contrast images, but when they are mounted on a wall, they become part of a room instead of part of the furniture. This provides a greater flexibility in organizing and designing spaces, but it also adds a couple of square feet where it would otherwise be lost.

The quality of early LCD TVs was horrible although the technology was revolutionary and rapidly improving. Most people didn’t think that they would be worth the investment especially considering that they used to have a $30,000 - $40,000 price tag. In larger versions, faster moving images were harder to see than other types of televisions although in recent years the technology of LCD’s has improved dramatically. In 2004, television manufacturers Sony and Samsung collaborated to build a factory that would produce upwards of 60,000 screens for the LCD TV industry. This showed their confidence in the LCD TV market. Other competitors tried to disprove the quality of these televisions but they eventually succumbed and created their own models.

A technological marvel for our times, the LCD Television solves space problems brought forth by new urban housing designs. As a result of space limitations in heavily developed areas of the city, such as downtown Toronto, more and more developers have been using house and condo designs inspired by Japanese and European models of efficient living. This means that rooms are small and spaces are tight and as a result have to be utilized well with flexible and space saving furniture. A large rear projection or common picture tube television would simply not fit due to its depth and bulk. The last thing you want to see when you enter your 600 sq ft condo would be the side profile of a 51 inch rear projection TV; imagine putting two fridges in your living room. It’s somewhat of a similar effect.

A good design would also consider how you would interact with the designed elements.

In small condominium and odd shaped rooms, the LCD or plasma TV becomes a solution due to its low profile, allowing for design freedom as it can be placed where traditional TVs cannot, such as above a fireplace, inside shallow cabinets, or on a narrow room wall. Its display allows viewing angles of up to 160° which means that you can watch TV from anywhere in the room, unlike with traditional rear projection TVs.

We are seeing ourselves and other designers plan spaces with the television set in mind. In an article written by Fardid Biglar for Asian Wave Magazine, he outlines how LCD TVs can be hidden behind screens in multifunctional rooms. When formal, the television is hidden from view and when guests leave and it’s time to relax, the screens slide open and the room changes from a formal space to an informal place of relaxation where you, your family, and your friends can lounge, watch TV or play your favorite video game.

Last year for the Interior Design show, Kenneth Ho surprised the kitchen industry by designing a modern kitchen with a 42” Panasonic Plasma TV integrated right into a shallow contemporary hutch. Wood trim matching the cabinets created a seamless integration of the television and cabinetry. As the kitchen becomes more and more a contemporary gathering space for friends and family, the TV becomes increasingly an important part of it. It’s great when having company as well as when spending hours preparing a gourmet meal.

A well designed room not only looks good, but is a pleasure to live in and work in.

Kenneth Ho is a partner at the design and construction firm BiglarKinyan Design Partnership Inc. For more information about the work of BKDP and their Free LCD television promotion, please visit their website at www.BKDP.ca

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